Patent Application
20250127264
The present disclosure relates to footwear, and more particularly to footwear having an upper with a textile support cage.
Achieving an optimal balance between stability and comfort is an important aspect of the design of any article of footwear. Stability involves providing support to the foot when the foot impacts the ground. Comfort involves sufficient cushioning in order to absorb and dissipate the force of these impacts. Improving stability typically involves more rigid footwear, while increasing comfort typically involves softer or more cushioned footwear. Accordingly, an article of footwear may aim to strike a balance between stability and comfort based, at least in part, on the nature of the activities intended for the footwear. One aspect of stability involves aligning various elements of a user's anatomy during athletic activities. For example, the ankle, knee, and hip joints function more effectively and with less wear when these joints are moved through a specific angular range of motion.
Therefore, a continuing need exists for innovations in articles of footwear to provide improved stability and comfort.
The present disclosure includes various embodiments of an upper for an article of footwear that provides a desired stability and cushioning effect to a wearer's foot.
In accordance with one embodiment, an article of footwear includes a sole and an upper. The upper includes a quarter-panel portion and a support cage extending along an interior of the quarter panel portion. The support cage extends upwards from the sole, above an upper edge of the quarter-panel portion, and back down to one or more connections along an upper edge of the quarter-panel portion at which the support cage is fixed to the quarter-panel portion, thereby forming one or more eyelet loops for laces. The support cage is fixed to the sole or the upper at one or more second connections. The second connections are disposed on or closer to the sole than to the upper edge of the quarter-panel portion. The support cage is not connected to the quarter-panel portion between the first connections and the second connections.
In some embodiments, the footwear includes a shoelace extending through the one or more eyelet loops. In some embodiments, tightening the laces causes the support cage to conform to a wearer's foot before the quarter-panel portion. In some embodiments, tightening the laces causes the laces to raise their positions within the one of more eyelet loops.
In some embodiments, the second connections are disposed proximate to a bottom edge of the quarter-panel portion.
In some embodiments, the support cage is formed of fingers extending separately above the upper edge of the quarter-panel portion. The fingers each forming a separate one of the eyelet loops and are fixed to the upper at the one or more first connections. In some embodiments, the fingers are merged together at a base of the support cage. The base is fixed to the sole at the one or more second connections.
In some embodiments, the second connections are disposed on an insole strobel. In some embodiments, the support cage is formed of a unitary flexible textile. In some embodiments, the support cage is thinner and more flexible than the quarter-panel portion.
In some embodiments, the quarter-panel portion has an opening therethrough, disposed over the support cage, such that the support cage is visible through the opening.
In some embodiments, the support cage is formed of fingers extending to form the one of more eyelet loops, and the opening spans multiple of the fingers.
In some embodiments, the quarter-panel portion is a lateral quarter-panel portion, and the support cage is a lateral support cage. In some embodiments, the first connections are first lateral connections, and the second connections are second lateral connections. In some embodiments, the eyelet loops are lateral eyelet loops.
In some embodiments, the upper further includes a medial quarter-panel portion and a medial support cage extending along an interior of the medial quarter panel portion. In some embodiments, the medial support cage extends upwards from the sole, above an upper edge of the medial quarter-panel portion, and back down to one or more first medial connections along an upper edge of the medial quarter-panel portion at which the support cage is fixed to the medial quarter-panel portion, thereby forming one or more medial eyelet loops for laces. In some embodiments, the medial support cage is fixed to the sole or the upper at one or more second medial connections, the second medial connections being on or closer to the sole than to the upper edge of the medial quarter-panel portion
In some embodiments, the medial support cage is not connected to the medial quarter-panel portion between the first medial connections and the second medial connections.
In some embodiments, the footwear further includes a shoelace extending through both the lateral eyelet loops and the medial eyelet loops. In some embodiments, initial tightening of the shoelace causes the lateral and medial support cages to move away from lateral and medial quarter-panel portions, respectively, and to conform to a wearer's foot. In some embodiments, further tightening causes the lateral and medial quarter-panel portions to conform against lateral and medial support cages, respectively.
In accordance with one embodiment, an article of footwear includes a sole and an upper. The upper includes a quarter-panel portion and a support cage extending along an interior of the quarter-panel portion. The support cage is fixed to the quarter-panel portion at one or more first connections. The support cage is fixed to the sole or the upper at one or more second connections. The second connections are lower than and spaced apart from the first connections. The support cage between the first connection and the second connection is free from connection to the upper. The support cage extends above an upper edge of the quarter-panel portion by a first distance to form one or more eyelet loops for laces. The support cage extends interior to the quarter-panel portion below the upper edge of the quarter-panel portion by a second distance. The second distance is at least three times the first distance.
In some embodiments, the second connections are disposed on an insole strobel of the sole.
In some embodiments, the support cage is formed of fingers extending separately above the upper edge of the quarter-panel portion. In some embodiments, the fingers each form a separate one of the eyelet loops. In some embodiments, the fingers are fixed to the upper at the one or more first connections.
In some embodiments, the fingers are merged together at a base of the support cage. In some embodiments, the base is fixed to the sole or the upper at one or more second connections.
In accordance with one embodiment, an article of footwear includes a sole and an upper. The upper includes a quarter-panel portion and a support cage extending along an interior of the quarter panel portion. The support cage extends upwards from the sole, above an upper edge of the quarter-panel portion, and back down to one or more connection points at which the support cage is connected to the quarter-panel portion, thereby forming one or more eyelet loops for laces. The support cage is not connected to the quarter-panel portion between the sole and the one or more connection points.
In some embodiments, the one or more connections are first connections disposed along the upper edge of the quarter-panel portion, and the support cage is fixed to the sole at one or more second connections.
In some embodiments, the second connections are formed by stitching the support cage to an insole strobel of the sole.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, illustrate the present disclosure and, together with the description, further serve to explain the principles thereof and to enable a person skilled in the pertinent art to make and use the same.
Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals are used to indicate identical or functionally similar elements. References to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “an example embodiment”, etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described.
The following examples are illustrative, but not limiting, of the present disclosure. Other suitable modifications and adaptations of the variety of conditions and parameters normally encountered in the field, and which would be apparent to those skilled in the art, are within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.
Conventional footwear typically employ a lacing system with the upper to allow the wearer to selectively change the size of the ankle opening and secure the upper against the wearer's foot. While conventional lacing systems allow the wearer to adjust the fit of the upper, the upper tends to be hesitant to conform to the wearer's foot because the upper must have a sufficient thickness and adequate restraint to stabilize the wearer's foot. When the upper does not conform sufficiently against the wearer's foot, the foot may slide in the shoe, leading to instability and discomfort. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved upper of footwear that can allow a wearer to adjust the tension of footwear's upper effectively to conform against the wearer's foot, while still providing adequate stability to constrain sliding of the wearer's foot.
According to various embodiments described herein, the article of footwear of the present disclosure may overcome one or more of the deficiencies noted above by comprising a sole and an upper that includes a quarter-panel portion and a support cage. The support cage may extend along an interior of the quarter panel portion and upward from the sole. The support cage may extend above an upper edge of the quarter-panel portion and back down to one or more first connections at which the support cage is connected to the quarter-panel portion such that one or more eyelet loops for laces are formed. The support cage may be fixed to the sole or the upper at one or more second connections, which are located on or closer to the sole than they are to the upper edge of the quarter-panel portion. The support cage is not connected to the quarter-panel portion between the first connections and the second connections such that the support cage moves independently from the quarter-panel portion.
Sole 120 may be configured to absorb shock and provide traction with each foot strike of footwear 100. Sole 120 may include a midsole 130 configured to support and cushion a wearer's foot. In some embodiments, midsole 130 may be formed of a foam-based material, such as ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA) foam or foamed polyurethane. Sole 120 may include an outsole 140 disposed below and coupled to midsole 130 to define a wear-resistant bottom surface of sole 120. Outsole 140 may be formed of rubber or other suitable wear-resistant material. Sole 120 may include an insole strobel 150 disposed above midsole 130 to receive a wearer's foot.
Upper 110 may be configured to receive and surround a wearer's foot when coupled to sole 120. Upper 110 may be coupled to sole 120 by stitching, an adhesive, or other suitable techniques known in the art. Upper 110 may include a forefoot portion 114, a heel portion 118, a lateral quarter-panel portion 116 extending from within forefoot portion 114 to within heel portion 118, and a medial quarter-panel portion 115 extending from within forefoot portion 114 to within heel portion 118 and disposed opposite to lateral quarter-panel portion 116. Upper 110 may include an upper edge 111 defining an ankle opening 112 disposed in heel portion 118 to allow a wearer's foot to be received therethrough. Upper edge 111 may define a midfoot opening 113 disposed between medial quarter-panel portion 115 and lateral quarter-panel portion 116 to allow the tension of upper 110 to be adjusted. In some embodiments, footwear 100 may include a tongue 160 secured to upper 110 and extending along the lengths of medial quarter-panel portion 115 and lateral quarter-panel portion 116 to cover an interior of footwear 100 exposed by midfoot opening 113.
In some embodiments, upper 110 may include a base layer 119 formed of a material that allows upper 110 to constrain movement of the wearer's foot and that includes enough flexibility to conform to the wearer's foot, such as, for example, fabric mesh, woven fabric, knitted material, leather, or a solid fabric. For example, base layer 119 of upper 110 may be formed of a fabric mesh that extends from forefoot portion 114 to heel portion 118. Base layer 119 of upper 110 may define at least part of an exterior surface of upper 110. Base layer 119 of upper 110 may define an interior surface of upper 110 to engage the wearer's foot. In some embodiments, the fabric mesh of upper 110 may be formed of a combination of synthetic materials, such as, nylon, polyester, acrylic, carbon fibers, and aramids. In some embodiments, the fabric mesh may be formed of elastane, such as LYCRA®.
In some embodiments, upper 110 may include one or more padding or support members to provide additional cushioning and/or support to the wearer's foot. For example, upper 110 may include a collar 170 disposed on upper edge 111 along ankle opening 112 to provide additional cushioning for the wearer's foot. Upper 110 may include a heel counter disposed on heel portion 118 to provide additional support and/or protection to the wearer's foot in the heel region. Upper 110 may include a toe cap 174 disposed on an end of forefoot portion 114 to provide additional support and/or protection to the wearer's foot. Upper 110 may include an overlay 176 disposed on forefoot portion 114 and/or on medial quarter-panel portion 115 or lateral quarter-panel portion 116 to provide additional support and/or protection to the wearer's foot.
In some embodiments, upper 110 may include one or more support cages to allow a wearer to adjust the tension of upper 110 such that the upper 110 conforms to the shape of the wearer's foot. For example, as shown in
Medial support cage 180 may define one or more eyelet loops 182 disposed above upper edge 111 along medial quarter-panel portion 115. Lateral support cage 190 may define one or more eyelet loops 192 disposed above upper edge 111 along lateral quarter-panel portion 116. Footwear 100 may include a shoelace 106 extending through the one or more eyelet loops 182 and 192. Tightening or pulling of shoelace 106 allows a wearer to adjust the tension of medial and lateral quarter-panel portions 115 and 116 and medial and lateral support cages 180 and 190, thereby adjusting the fit of upper 110 against the wearer's foot.
Medial and Lateral support cages 180 and 190 may be formed of one or more flexible, non-elastic textile materials, such as leather and/or non-elastic polymers, that are durable and configured to conform to the shape of the wearer's foot as the eyelet loops 182 and 192 are pulled by shoelace 106. In some embodiments, medial and lateral support cages 180 and 190 may be formed as a laminate of two flexible, non-elastic textile materials. For example, the laminate may include a synthetic leather sheet, such as synthetic nubuck, and a layer of polypag applied to a surface (e.g., exterior surface) of synthetic leather sheet.
Due to their physical properties and the arrangement of their connections to upper 110 and sole 120, medial and lateral support cages 180 and 190 are configured to move independently from the remainder of upper 110 but also are configured to distribute tension to medial and lateral quarter-panel portions 115 and 116 such that medial and lateral quarter-panel portions 115 and 116 conform to the wearer's foot, ultimately providing a superior degree of fit adjustment.
Lateral support cage 190 may extend below upper edge 111 by a second distance B that is substantially greater than first distance A (e.g., at least three times first distance A, at least 5 times first distance A, at least 8 times first distance A) such that lateral support cage 190 extends along the interior of lateral quarter-panel portion 116 from upper edge 111 to or proximate to sole 120.
In some embodiments, lateral support cage 190 may be fixed to sole 120 at one or more second connections 193. For example, a bottom portion (e.g., base portion 196) of lateral support cage 190 may be connected directly to insole strobel 150 of sole 120 by stitching, adhesive, or any other suitable technique known in the art. In some embodiments, lateral support cage 190 may be fixed to upper 110 at one or more second connections 193 where the one or more second connections 193 are disposed proximate to a bottom edge of lateral quarter-panel portion 116 such that second connections 193 are closer to sole 120 than to upper edge 111 of lateral quarter-panel portion 116. For example, a bottom edge 195 of lateral support cage 190 may be aligned with the bottom edge of lateral quarter-panel portion 116, and second connections 193 may be disposed along bottom edge 195 of lateral support cage 190 and the bottom edge of lateral quarter-panel portion 116. After bottom edge 195 of lateral support cage 190 is fixed (e.g., sewn) to the bottom edge of lateral quarter-panel portion 116 via connections 193, upper 110 may be fixed to insole strobe 150 of sole 120.
The more of lateral support cage 190 that is free from attachment to the interior of lateral quarter-panel portion 116, the greater the ability of lateral support cage 190 to confirm to a user's foot independently of quarter-panel portion 116, as discussed in greater detail elsewhere herein. For example, except for first connections 194, lateral support cage 190 may be unconnected to lateral quarter-panel portion 116 along an entirety of its height above sole 120, or at least along a substantial portion (e.g., between first connections 194 and second connections 193, lateral support cage 190 may be unconnected to lateral quarter-panel portion 116 along at least 60%, at least 80%, or at least 90% of lateral quarter-panel portion 116's height above sole 120 (e.g., along distance B)).
Medial support cage 180 includes the same or similar features of lateral support cage 190 as described herein. For example, medial support cage 180 may extend upward from sole 120 to above upper edge 111 of medial quarter-panel portion 115 and back down to one or more first connections 184 at which medial support cage 180 is connected to medial quarter-panel portion 115. The one or more connections 184 are disposed proximate to upper edge 111 of medial quarter-panel portion 115 such that the one or more connections are located closer to upper edge 111 than insole strobel 150. In some embodiments, medial support cage 180 may be connected to sole 120 at one or more second connections, for example, being directly connected to insole strobel 150 by stitching, adhesive, or any other suitable technique known in the art. In some embodiments, medial support cage 180 may be fixed to upper 110 at one or more second connections where the one or more second connections are disposed closer to sole 120 than to upper edge 111 of medial quarter-panel portion 115, such as being proximate to a bottom edge of medial quarter-panel portion 115.
To allow medial and lateral support cages 180 and 190 to move independently from medial and lateral quarter-panel portions 115 and 116 of upper 110, lateral support cage 190 is largely unconnected to lateral quarter-panel portion 116, leaving a substantial portion of lateral support cage 190 free to move away from lateral quarter-panel portion 116, for example, during a shoelace-tightening action by a wearer. For example, in some embodiments lateral support cage 190 is only connected to lateral quarter-panel portion 116 above sole 120 at the one or more connections 194, and medial support cage 180 is only connected to medial quarter-panel portion 115 above sole 120 at the one or more connections 184. Lateral support cage 190 may be free from connection to lateral quarter-panel portion 116 between first connections 194 and second connections 193, and medial support cage 180 may be free from connection to medial quarter-panel portion 115 between first connections 184 and the second connections disposed on or proximate to sole 120. For example, as best seen in
In some embodiments, lateral support cage 190 may include a base portion 196 that defines bottom edge 195 of lateral support cage 190. Lateral support cage 190 may include a plurality of fingers 198 extending separately from base portion 196 and above upper edge 111 of lateral quarter-panel portion 116. The plurality of fingers 198 each form eyelet loops 192 by being bent over such that an end portion 199 of finger 198 is engaged against an interior surface of lateral quarter-panel portion 116. End portion 199 of finger 198 is secured against the interior surface of lateral quarter-panel portion 116 at connection point 194, such as, for example, by stitching. As shown in
Referring to
Upper 210 may include a lateral support cage 290 and a medial support cage that include the same or similar features of medial and lateral support cages 180 and 190. For example, lateral support cage 290 may extend along an interior of lateral quarter-panel portion 216, defining one or more eyelet loops 292, and medial support cage 280 may extend along an interior of medial quarter-panel portion, defining one or more eyelet loops. Footwear 200 may include a shoelace 206 extending through the one or more eyelet loops on medial side of footwear 200 and one or more eyelet loops 192 on lateral side of footwear 200 to allow a wearer to adjust the tension of medial quarter-panel portion and lateral quarter-panel portion 216, thereby adjusting the fit of upper 210 against the wearer's foot.
As shown in
In some embodiments, the shape of the upper for the footwear may be tuned to provide a desired aesthetic appearance and to improve performance of the shoe. For example, as shown in
Upper 310 may include a medial support cage 380 and a lateral support cage 390 that include the same or similar features of medial and lateral support cages 180 and 190. For example, lateral support cage 390 may extend along an interior of lateral quarter-panel portion 316, defining one or more eyelet loops 392, and medial support cage 380 may extend along an interior of medial quarter-panel portion 315 defining one or more eyelet loops 382. Footwear 300 may include a shoelace 306 extending through the one or more eyelet loops 382 and 392 to allow a wearer to adjust the tension of medial quarter-panel portion 315 and lateral quarter-panel portion 316, thereby adjusting the fit of upper 310 against the wearer's foot.
Lateral support cage 390 may extend upward from sole 320 to above upper edge 311 of upper 310 and back down to one or more connections 394 at which lateral support cage 390 is connected to the lateral quarter-panel portion of upper 310. The one or more connections 394 may be disposed proximate to upper edge 311 of lateral quarter-panel portion 316. The one or more connections 394 may be formed using any suitable technique known in the art, such as stitching, adhesive, or plastic welding. In some embodiments, lateral support cage 390 may be fixed to sole 320 at one or more second connections 393, such as being connected directly to insole strobel of sole 320 by stitching, adhesive, or any other suitable technique known in the art. In some embodiments, lateral support cage 390 may be fixed to upper 310 at one or more second sections 393 where the one or more second connections 393 are disposed closer to sole 320 than to upper edge 311 of quarter-panel portion 316.
Medial support cage 380 includes the same or similar features of lateral support cage 390 as described herein. For example, medial support cage 380 may extend upward from sole 320 to above upper edge 311 of medial quarter-panel portion 315 and back down to one or more connections at which medial support cage 380 is connected to medial quarter-panel portion 315. The one or more connections of medial support cage 380 may be disposed proximate to upper edge 311 of medial quarter-panel portion 315 such that the one or more connections are located closer to upper edge 311 than insole strobel. Medial support cage 380 may be fixed to sole 320 at one or more second connections, for example, being directly connected to insole strobel by stitching, adhesive, or any other suitable technique known in the art. In some embodiments, medial support cage 380 may be fixed to upper 310 at one or more second connections where the one or more second connections are disposed closer to sole 320 than to upper edge 311 of medial quarter-panel portion 315.
Similar to medial and lateral support cages 180 and 190, medial and lateral support cages 380 and 390 move independently from medial and lateral quarter-panel portions 315 and 316 by lateral support cage 390 being largely unconnected to lateral quarter-panel portion 316 and medial support cage 380 being largely unconnected to medial quarter-panel portion 315. For example, in some embodiments, lateral support cage 390 is only connected to lateral quarter-panel portion 316 above sole 320 at the one or more connections 394, and medial support cage 380 is only connected to medial quarter-panel portion 315 above sole 320 at the one or more connections of medial support cage 380. Lateral support cage 390 may be free from connection to lateral quarter-panel portion 316 between first connections 394 and second connections 393, and medial support cage 380 may be free from connection to medial quarter-panel portion 315 between the first connections disposed proximate to upper edge 311 of medial quarter-panel portion 315 and the second connections disposed on or proximate to sole 320.
As shown in
The shape of the support cage for the footwear may be tuned to restrict or add flexibility to each of the fingers of the support cage to control how the eyelet loops are pulled by the shoelace. For example, lateral support cage 390 may include a plurality of webs 397A-C interconnecting each one of fingers 398A-D. For example, end portions 399A and 399B of first and second fingers 398A and 398B may be interconnected by a first web 197A, and end portions 399C and 399D of third and fourth fingers 398C and 398D may be interconnected by a second web 397B. An opening defined by one eyelet loop 392 spans across fingers 398A and 398B, and an opening defined by another eyelet loop 392 spans across fingers 398C and 398D. Because first and second webs 397A and 397B are located at end portions 399A-D of fingers 398A-D, more connections 394 can be established proximate to upper edge 311 of lateral quarter-panel portion 315 compared to embodiments shown in
The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the invention(s) that others can, by applying knowledge within the skill of the art, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments, without undue experimentation, without departing from the general concept of the present disclosure. Therefore, such adaptations and modifications are intended to be within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments, based on the teaching and guidance presented herein. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, such that the terminology or phraseology of the present specification is to be interpreted by the skilled artisan in light of the teachings and guidance.
The breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the claims and their equivalents.
